The present invention is directed to a multiple gob glass feeder system for feeding from three to six uniform streams of molten glass for severance into individual, uniform gobs for delivery to an individual section, multiple-cavity forming machine, for example. One example of a double gob feeder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,310,290, while an example of a triple gob feeder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,812.
When producing triple gobs so that containers may be made three at a time, control of flow of the center stream has presented a problem due to the center stream being hotter than the other outboard streams. Thus, the center stream normally flows faster and as a result the glass gob delivered from the center stream is greater in weight and temperature as compared with the gobs from the outboard streams. The aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,811 is directed to method and apparatus for cooling the center stream to cause the three streams to flow at the same rate to achieve uniformity of weight in the gob froom three or more uniform streams of molten glass for severance into precisely-similar molten gobs has been a continuing problem in the art, and the cooling and shielding of the center stream in such triple gobbing operation has not adequately solved long-term operating difficulties. Also, the art has had considerable difficulty delivering four or more streams of molten glass with any appreciable degree of uniformity to permit quadruple or greater gob delivery operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,296 to Bracken discloses a triple gob glass feeder with a heat reflecting shield at the feeder spout. U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,188 to Winzer discloses a hinged orifice plate which is internally cooled to deliver plural gobs. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,582,309 and 3,711,266 to Bracken and Daly, respectively, disclose triple gob feeders which utilize three plungers in alignment which operate over each of three discharge orifices. While each of these disclosures has attempted to solve the inherent difficulties in triple gob delivery, none has provided the required accuracy and simplicity for triple or quadruple, uniform gob delivery for most modern individual section glass forming machines operating at high rates of production.